Circulator pump structure



July 21, 1953 Filed Sept. 5, 1946 V s l4 AEV/r/I/A w Ml 2/ j 1 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jul& 21, 1953 CIRCULATOR PUMP STRUCTURE William R. Ray, Los Angeles, Calif., asslgnor to' General Controls 00., acorporation of Calli fornla Application September 3, 1946, Serial No. 694,414

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a centrifugal pump structuraand more particularly to a circulating pump for hot water.

It is an object of this invention to provide an comprising a single seal between the interior and exterior of the pump chamber. It is another object of this invention to provide an improved seal for this purpose.

It is another object of this invention to provide a seal structure incorporating means for lubricating the sealing surfaces.

It is another object of this invention to provide a, seal structure incorporating a double seal, one

for the shaft leaving the pump chamber, the other for the shaft entering the driving motor housing. It is still another object of this invention to provide a seal structure having an improved mode of assembly and disassembly.

This invention possesses many other advantages, and has other objects which may be made more clearly apparent from a consideration of i one embodiment of the invention. For this purpose there is shown a form in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. The form will now be described in detail illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of this invention is best defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal axial section through a structure incorporating the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section partly in elevation taken as indicated by line 2-2 on Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail section of the seal structure.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the circulator comprises a unitary structure I including a centrifugal pump 2 directly connected to an electric motor 3, the pump impeller 4 being arranged to be supported by the motor bearings (not shown). Thus, the motor shaft 5 is shown as havingan extension 6 threaded on a reduced portion of the shaft 5-a, the impeller 4 being secured on extension 6 as by one or more set screws 4-a.

The body 1 forms the pump chamber 8 an has an inlet nozzle 9 and an outlet nozzle I0, each of which is exteriorly threaded, as at II, for receiving a conventional union coupling (not shown). The body I is connected to the system piping by the aid of these couplings, the entire unit I being supported thereby.

The body I has openings I2 and I3 through its opposite sides, the opening I2 being closed by a detachable pressed metal cover I4. The opposite opening I3 is closed by a member I6, conveniently formed as a casting and providing an intermediate chamber I'l through which the shaft 5 extends.

The member I6 serves to mount the motor 3 on the pump body I and, additionally, has a cylindrical flange I8 to which is secured, as by a soldering or brazing process, a sheet metal housing I9 which forms a chamber enclosing the motor 3. This chamber is filled with an appropriate insulating and lubricating liquid through an opening 20 (see Fig. 2) provided with a conventional filler cup2l having a' spring lid 22. lfhe housing I9 is provided with cooling fins 23 for preventing excessive temperature rise of the motor 3, which is subjected to the heat of the hot water handled by the pump 2, as well as to its normal heat of operation.

The motor 3 is supported in the housing I9 by means of a threaded stud 24 on the motor frame projecting through a suitable opening in the back wall I9-a of the housing I9 and engaged by a nut 25. Leakage of oil is prevented by a suitable sealin washer 2Ii. The opposite end of the motor is supported by a boss 21 on the motor frame seated in a suitable recess 28 in the casting I6.

The housing I9 has an opening 29 in its upper portion through which the motor leads 30 and 3I extend into a closed space 32, defined by a member 33 suitably secured on the housing I9. The member 33 has an intermediate wall 34 through which a pair of glass seals 35 and 36 extend, carrying extensions 30-11 and 3I-a respectively of the leads 3!) and 3|. These extensions 30-1; and 3 I-a may be connected to a power source in a conventional manner through the threaded opening 31. The filler opening 2I may be formed conveniently in the member 33.

To prevent leakage from the pump chamber 8 along the shaft 5, a seal structure 40 is provided in the intermediate chamber I1. Since it is desired to lubricate the sealing surfaces, and to isolate the lubricant from the motor chamber 20, the structure 40 comprises a double seal.

Referring to Fig. 3, a collar 4| having opposite annular faces 42 and 43 is mounted on shaft 5, as by being suitably secured to the inner end of the shaft extension 6, centrally of chamber l1. One end of chamber i1 is closed by the wall l1-a formed integrally with the casting IS. The opposite end is closed by a cap 44 threaded into the member I6. The wall ll-a and the cap 44 respectively have clearance apertures 45 and 46 for the shaft 5.

A non-rotary seal member 41 is adapted to cooperate with one surface of the collar 4|, and for this purpose has a reduced annular surface 41-a for contacting the collar surface 42. The opposite surface of member 41 has a circular recess 41-b for accommodating, in a fluid-tight manner, a ring or washer 50 secured to one end of a Sylphon or metallic bellows The other end of bellows '5| has a similar ring 52 secured thereon, which seats in a fluid-tight manner in a recess |1-b formed in the chamber end wall i1-a. The Sylphon 5| has considerable resilience, creatin a seating force between the rings 50 and 52 and their respective recesses, as well as urging member 41 to seal against the collar 4|. However, to ensure sufiicient force for this purpose, a compression spring 54 may be confined between the rings 50 and 52, urging them apart. It will be understood from the described construction that the member 41, when contacting the member 4|, is in fluid-tight relation with the wall ll-a, isolating the lubricant chamber I1 from the motor chamber.

A similar arrangement serves to isolate the pump chamber 8 from the chamber |1. Thus, a non-rotary seal member 55 engages the face 43 of the collar 4|, and has a recess for accommodatin the end ring 56 of a Sylphon 51. The opposite end ring 58 is accommodated in a recess 44-a in the cap 44. A compression spring 59 may be provided between rings 56 and '58 for urging the rings to seat in their recesses in a fluid-tight manner, as well as for urging the member 55 to seal against the collar 4|. It is desirable to lubricate the sealing surfaces between the collar 4| and the members 41 and 55. For this purpose the chamber I1 is arranged to contain a suitable lubricant. An upwardly extending passage 60, opening through the upper part of the casting H5, is provided for filling the chamber. This passage may be closed by a spring capped filler cup 6|. Asimilar downwardly extending passage 62, closed as by a pet cook 63, serves to drain the chamber |1 when desired.

The described construction of the seal 40 renders its assembly and disassembly for inspection and repair a simple matter. Thus, with the pump 2 and motor 3 assembled as in Figs. 1 and 3, the seal structure 40 may be disassembled as follows. The cover I4 is first removed from the pump body 1. The impeller 4 is then removed from the shaft extension 6, the set screw 4-a. having been loosened for this purpose. The cap 44 is then unscrewed from the member l6 and removed by axial movement to the right along the shaft 5. The Sylphon structure 565158 and the sealing member 55 are then removed by a similar movement to the right.

After this, the shaft extension 6 is disconnected from the shaft 5 by appropriate rotation with respect to the shaft to unscrew the threaded connection 5-a, and the extension 6, together with the collar 4|, is removed. This frees the seal member 41, as well as the Sylphon 50- 5|- -52, and allows them to be removed from chamber H by movement to the right along the shaft 5. It will be noted that this does not require disconnection of the pump body 1 and the motor 2, or any disturbance of the pump connections.

In assembling the seal, the Sylphon 50-5 |-52 is first inserted in the chamber l1, with either end ring 50 or 52 seated in the recess |1-b. The seal member 41 is then mounted on the outer end ring 52 or 50 as the case may be, and the shaft extension 6, with collar 4|, secured on shaft 5. The other seal member 55, together with the Sylphon '56--51-58, are inserted in the chamber H, which is then closed by the cap 44. The impeller 4 is then secured on the extension 6, and the cover i4 secured on the pump body 1.

The inventor claims:

1. In a centrifugal pump structure: a casing having a partition dividing said casing into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber; said casing having aligned conduit means forming an inlet and an outlet passageway cooperating with said inlet and outlet chambers respectively; said partition having an opening; said casing having a pair of aligned apertures opening exteriorly of said casing from the inlet chamber and outlet chamber respectively; said pair of apertures being aligned with said opening; a bracket secured to said casing and cooperating with the aperture of said casing on the inlet side, and defining an auxiliary chamber; a motor supported on that side of said bracket remote from said casing, said motor having a shaft extending through said opening into said outlet chamber; a seal structure between said shaft and said bracket for preventing fiow of fluid between said auxiliary chamber and said inlet chamber; means detachably securing said seal structure to said bracket; said seal structure being of such size as to permit passage thereof through said opening and said aligned apertures; a runner in the outlet chamber cooperating with the opening and detachably secured to said shaft, said runner being of such size as to permit passage thereof through the aperture of said casing on the outlet side; and a cover plate for the aperture of said casing on said outlet side.

2. In a centrifugal pump structure: a casing having a partition dividing said easing into an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber; said casing having aligned conduit means forming an inlet and an outlet passageway cooperating with said inlet and outlet chambers respectively; said partition having an opening; said casing having a pair of aligned apertures opening exteriorly of said casing from the inlet chamber and outlet chamber respectively; said pair of apertures being aligned with said opening; a bracket secured to said casing and cooperating with the aperture of said casing on the inlet side, and defining an auxiliary chamber; a motor supported on that side of said bracket remote from said casing, said motor having a shaft; a shaft extension detachably connected to said shaft, said extension extending through said opening and into said outlet chamber; a collar carried by said extension; a first seal structure cooperating with said collar for preventing flow of fluid from the exterior of said bracket along said shaft into said auxiliary chamber, said first seal structure being of such size as to permit passage thereof through said pair of apertures and said opening upon detachment of said extension; a second seal structure cooperating with said collar for preventing flow of fluid from said inlet chamber along said shaft into said auxiliary chamber; means for detachably securing said second seal structure to said bracket; said detachably securing means, said second seal structure, said extension, and said collar being of such size as to permit passage thereof through said pair of apertures and said opening; a runner detachably secured to said extension, and mounted in said outlet chamber, said runner cooperating with said opening, said runner being of such size as to permit passage thereof through the aperture of said casing on the outlet side; and a cover plate for the aperture of said casing on said outlet side.

WILLIAM R. RAY.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Janette June 24, 1930 Number Number 

